Reborn in the 1980s: I became a stepmother in the 1980s Ⅱ

Part 251 Dumbfounded

You know your own children well, it's not like you're unaware of their strengths and weaknesses.

Moreover—

Third Uncle Si bribed Father Si, but she herself had no idea. Father Si gave her money and explained the reason clearly, so everything was justified. Third Uncle Si had no way to cause her trouble. He could only go after Father Si. Given Father Si's sensitive position, he absolutely wouldn't dare make a fuss.

With that in mind, Si Nian had even less to worry about him coming for her. The mere mention of "corruption and bribery" would be enough to scare him to death.

Si Nian had always hated trouble, so if someone caused trouble for her, they couldn't blame her for not being polite about it.

The two teachers, originally just waiting to watch the drama unfold, were left speechless.

They initially thought the new teacher was trouble, but in the end, they realized the ones with dirty hands were themselves. Now, they're even comforting Si Nian.

The assistant director also felt sorry for her, as he had already heard about her situation from Sister Chen. He told her that if anyone ever caused her trouble, she should inform the school, and they would help her handle it.

Looking at these people, Si Nian thought her future teaching career probably wouldn't be too difficult.

On the first day of school, it was mostly just students checking in and picking up their books—there weren't many classes. Si Nian made it a point to greet the students on her first day. A line of little kids, all talking at once, gave her a headache. Although she had three children of her own, at least they were well-behaved. Other people's kids were much harder to manage—chattering non-stop, enough to make her ears hurt.

She only taught fourth and fifth graders, with a maximum of four classes a day, and only the advanced classes at that.

After looking at the schedule, Si Nian began preparing her lessons. Yao Yao, her little girl, sat quietly beside her, munching on some biscuits without making a fuss. Her obedient and adorable demeanor immediately captured the hearts of all the mothers in the office. Everyone was eager to hold her.

There was no need for introductions—everyone already knew Si Nian because of the speech she had given earlier, which had left a lasting impression. People gathered around her, asking questions, some admiring her for being both talented and beautiful, while others thought it was a pity that someone so young already had children.

Regardless, everyone was trying to build good relationships with her. They laughed and chatted, all in good spirits and excited for the new school year.

"Have you heard? Mr. Wu is now not only the homeroom teacher for the fourth-grade A class, but he's also been assigned the fifth-grade A class. The school really has high hopes for him!"

"Of course! Do you even know who he is? A PhD who studied abroad! The school paid a hefty sum to bring him in. I'm teaching Chinese in his class, and the pressure is huge!" said a woman in her mid-twenties. Though she spoke of feeling pressured, she was clearly proud of it.

Last year, the class Wu Ren'ai led had excelled, and even the teachers were awarded scholarships because of it. Everyone wanted the chance to teach in his class.

Besides, Wu Ren'ai was one of the youngest yet most accomplished teachers at the school, and he came from a wealthy family. Many of the young teachers had their eyes on him.

Of course, Si Nian wasn't one of them.

Hearing everyone praise Wu Ren'ai's excellence, Si Nian couldn't help but feel conflicted. In her eyes, he didn't seem particularly bright. Just as she was thinking this, she sensed a hostile gaze. She turned her head and saw a woman in her mid-twenties glaring at her with clear disdain before turning and walking out.

Si Nian was puzzled, but the female teacher sitting next to her explained, "Don't mind her, Ms. Si. That's Li Fengxian, Teacher Li. She used to teach fourth-grade English, but she didn't meet the standards last year and got demoted. You're now teaching her former class, so she's probably feeling uncomfortable about it."

Their school had high standards and fierce competition. Even the teachers who passed the hiring exams could be replaced if their students' performance didn't meet expectations. Li Fengxian had been one such case.

Si Nian sighed upon hearing this. The realities of workplace competition were suddenly very clear.

She was just wondering if Lin Sisi—the protagonist in the story—had ever encountered these people when, with a loud *thud*, someone slammed a large stack of documents onto a nearby desk. The room immediately fell silent.

"Director Li!" someone exclaimed.

Si Nian raised an eyebrow and saw a woman in her forties standing there.

The teacher next to Si Nian whispered, "That's Director Li Fenghua, a relative of Teacher Li."

Li Fenghua had sharp, harsh features—someone who seemed the type to make things difficult for others in the workplace. Sure enough, in the next moment, she barked, "You must be the new teacher, Si Nian? Can't you see how busy it is today? Why are you just sitting there? Take these documents and make three copies for me by noon!"

A scene from the novel flashed through Si Nian's mind. Lin Sisi, the protagonist, had been bullied after joining the school because she came from the countryside. She had taken Li Fengxian's opportunity to teach the advanced class, which made Li Fenghua—Li Fengxian's relative—despise her. Li Fenghua would secretly cause trouble for Lin Sisi, and Lin, eager to keep her job, endured the mistreatment without fighting back.

Later, the male lead, who had already fallen in love with the female lead, found out about the bullying and stood up for her, humiliating both Li Fengxian and Li Fenghua, forcing them to beg for mercy.

So... was all of this part of some narrative setup for the male and female leads' story?

Si Nian sighed and firmly refused, "No."

"What?" Li Fenghua, who had already started to walk away, couldn't believe her ears. She stopped, turning back to stare at Si Nian in disbelief. "Say that again?"

"I said no," Si Nian repeated calmly.

Everyone around gasped, staring at Si Nian in shock. They all knew that being a newcomer was tough, and it was expected that you'd have to do all sorts of menial tasks. They had all gone through it themselves. But they never expected Si Nian to actually dare refuse.

Li Fenghua's face darkened. "If you don't want to do it, then get out! Our school doesn't need lazy people!"

"I didn't come here to be your errand runner," Si Nian calmly replied. "I came to teach English. What do these documents have to do with me?"

Li Fenghua stared at her in disbelief. "If I tell you to do something, you do it! I'm in charge here!"

"Well, I'm not doing it." Si Nian, holding her startled daughter Yao Yao, stood up and patted her back reassuringly. "Since you're in charge, go ahead and fire me."

"Oh, and by the way, I signed a contract when I joined. There's a three-month severance clause. Since I haven't started working yet, I won't need the salary, but make sure to pay me the severance." With that, Si Nian turned and started to leave with Yao Yao in her arms.

Now, it was Li Fenghua's turn to be dumbfounded.